Click on the headline (link) for the full text.
Many more articles are available through the Energy Bulletin homepage
G20 protesters go on the march
Mario Cacciottolo, BBC News
The stream of thousands of people marching through London to protest ahead of the forthcoming G20 summit was an unusual beast.
Although there were pockets of noise, and chanting, live brass bands and booming sounds played over loudspeakers, the mood was often a little subdued.
But individually people were islands of anger, disappointment and concern over the global economy, the conduct of bankers, governments and financiers.
By the sheer scale of things, it was clear that the dismay felt by many in society by what has been dubbed either the “credit crunch” or “economic downturn” has upset enough to make them come and pace the streets of the capital.
Among the thousands who turned up was Milton McKenzie, 73, from Essex. He said he was on the march because of “the injustices that happen in the world” and, he added, particularly in Britain.
“How the hell can we have people out of work and the bloody bankers are just creaming it off,” he said, his disgust evident in his voice.
(28 March 2009)
Related:
London economic protest draws thousands (LA Times) – estimates 15,000 marchers
Police estimate crowd numbers in London at 35,000 (Guardian)
G20 protests: Cry havoc – and let slip a rainbow alliance of summit protesters (Guardian)
G20 marches begin week of protests in Europe (Reuters)
From Edinburgh to Paris to Kiev, Europe is revolting
Paola Totaro, Sydney Morning Herald
THE signs are everywhere, from smashed windows in the mansion of a British banker to the thousands who took to the streets of Kiev to decry pay cuts: Europe is rebelling.
As world leaders strut the stages of Washington, New York and soon, London, in a bid to forge a united response to the global financial crisis, the rising cost of living, mortgages heading skywards, job losses and a tide of home repossessions have sparked a chilling fear of the future and propelled the citizens of Europe into open uprising.
These isolated brushfires of civil unrest could ignite what Superintendent David Hartshorn of London’s Metropolitan Police warned could become a “summer of rage” – with the city’s G20 meeting the focus of widespread dissatisfaction.
(28 March 2009)
G20 protesters produce spoof FT
Stephen Brook, Guardian
Anti-capitalism campaigners have published a spoof edition of the Financial Times today as the prime minister, Gordon Brown, prepares to host next week’s G20 summit in London.
The 12-page paper, complete with the slogan “We live on Financial Crimes” – a parody of the FT’s advertising strapline “We Live in Financial Times” – was handed out to commuters from dawn today at London’s Waterloo station.
A full-colour replica of the “Pink ‘Un”, the paper features spoof British and international news. A pdf version, photos and videos are available at www.ft2020.com.
The front-page splash announces that “Civilisation is ‘more or less unlikely to collapse this century’, world leaders warn, despite the inconvenience to companies from global carbon rationing”.
(27 March 2009)
PDF version.
The Financial Times gets a backhanded compliment from the spoofers:
Frankly, the Financial Times is more honest than most, both about its bias and the state of the world. Investors tend to want their news less filtered, even if they still like it framed to serve their interests.
Spoof articles of interest:
What’s the point?
Not Stupid interview
World survives Equal Rights Day
Wallace and Gromit tout energy efficiency
Guardian
Gas and electricity company npower is giving consumers a sneak preview of its first TV campaign starring Wallace and Gromit, which promises to deliver “drama, action and new characters” for fans of the duo’s TV outings, with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the commercial promoting energy efficiency. The first TV ad, created by agency Beattie McGuiness Bungay, launches on Saturday night, featuring Wallace attempting to come up with his usual array of bizarre inventions to try to make his home more energy efficient. Apparently the ad required 10lb of modelling clay and took five weeks to shoot, factoid fans.
[Video]
(24 March 2009)
Anti-Globalization Group Circulates Faked German Newspaper from 2010
Die Welt (Germany)
What will the world be like a year from now? Left-wing activist group Attac publicized their ideas by printing realistic-looking copies of a prominent German newspaper — dated May 1, 2010.
[Attac distributed their version of “Die Zeit” (right) across Germany]Attac distributed their version of “Die Zeit” (right) across Germany
Attac activists distributed 150,000 copies of their faked, eight-page version of the German weekly Die Zeit in over 90 cities across the country.
With the top headline “At the end of the tunnel,” the paper presented reports the group said it thinks can become reality within 13 months.
Today’s news about the global financial crisis, world hunger and climate change leave a lot of people feeling helpless, said Attac member Jutta Sundermann.
“We fast forwarded time and wrote about the news we want to read about tomorrow — not about some distant paradise, but about concrete changes that are conceivable and attainable,” she added.
Articles describe the beginning of a “new era,” where banks have been nationalized, the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging countries see eye to eye, and polluters are taken to task.
(22 March 2009)
